"This is what cities do when they are not focused on financial crisis." - Ralph Vartan

HARRISBURG – Residents will have a long overdue opportunity Wednesday evening to weigh in on plans for the city’s future growth during an open meeting that starts the public part of its comprehensive planning process.

“This is what cities do when they are not focused on financial crisis,” developer Ralph Vartan said. “It’s historic. A good comprehensive plan sets groundwork for the next generation’s legacy for the next generation.”

The city doesn’t have a comprehensive plan, at least not one that’s been updated in the past four decades. Most municipalities update theirs every 10 years, if not more frequently, according to City Councilman Bruce Weber.

The zoning code was overhauled four years ago, but that newer version was never implemented, Vartan said.

Updated land use laws will be key to the comprehensive plan, along with beautification, economic development, housing strategy and infrastructure improvement.

Harrisburg’s Act 47 recovery plan mandates the city get together a blueprint encompassing all of those components.

The point is to develop initiatives focused on each of those areas that work in tandem and citywide while catering to the city's individual Allison Hill, Downtown, Midtown, South Allison Hill, Southside and Uptown neighborhoods.

“We were careful in creating the framework for this so that it allows for a transition [in administration] with as many options as possible,” outgoing Mayor Linda Thompson said.

That process got underway in April with naming the Business Advisory Council, which Vartan heads, and the Comprehensive Planning Committee.

The committee is comprised of stakeholders including Vartan, developers Alex Hartzler and Dan Deichman, Weber representing City Council, Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries, Harrisburg School Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney, Community Action Commission Executive Director Kathy Possinger, Capital Area Transit, CREDC and state and federal elected officials.

During the past several months, Mullin & Lonegan has been crunching numbers and also getting input from the council and committee to help tweak the comprehensive planning framework recommended by the state Department of Community & Economic Development.

The Pittsburgh-based consultancy, which has long handled the housing strategy Harrisburg must keep updated as per HUD regulations, will continue to collect data while expanding its input facilitation role to the general public and planned volunteer committees focused on public safety, education and public transportation, according to the scope of services document released Tuesday by Thompson.

The first two phases of seven involved in the process should wrap up by year’s end. Thompson said she’s paid for the $28,000 in associated costs using Community Development Block Grant funding.

Total costs are expected to come in around $150,000 by the 2014 goal end date for the process, she said.

Some of expense typically entailed appears to be defrayed by harnessing the expertise and ideas of the community through the existing and forthcoming committees as well as feedback from the general public.

The next mayor should try, if possible, to hire an economic development coordinator as well, Thompson said.

The city managed to attract private investment without one during the past four years, but “depending on how next the administration chooses to use them, they could be critical in working with the steering committee and business community, and making sure everybody sticks to the blueprint,” Thompson said Tuesday.

Still, that’s merely meant to be a guide creating a plan that will yield a better mix of uses that reflects city residents’ preferences and is more attractive to private investors.

“Businesses are looking for synergy,” Thompson said.

If you goWhat: Community meeting on Harrisburg Comprehensive Plan and Housing Strategy.Where: Harrisburg High School, 2451 Market St.When: 7 p.m. Wednesday.Why: Public input on Harrisburg's future growth Info: http://harrisburgpa.gov/This story was updated to correct a typo.

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